Category: Dinner

Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower


If you read my review of the fabulous restaurant Pardes, you may have noticed that my meal started off unconventionally, with a giant cup of smoked paprika popcorn. That stuff was so incredible that I went back for more. And more. And then I pulled my popcorn machine out from the basement and I even made my own. And finally, I realized that if I don’t stop with my smoked paprika popcorn addiction, I will need to check myself into a 12-step program for popcorn addicts.

I realized that what I really loved most about the popcorn, wasn’t the popcorn at all. It was the amazing smokiness of the paprika. I’m a huge fan of smoked paprika in general. I put it in my cholent, sprinkle it generously over my roasted chickpeas, and slather it all over my roasted chicken. So, I decided to come up with a healthier, less carby version of my favorite Pardes treat, using cauliflower to mimic the popcorn. And that’s how this delicious healthy version of smokey “popcorn” cauliflower came about. Don’t be shy with the paprika, douse it on heavily for optimum smokey flavor!  This stuff is great for snacking or served alongside a piece of grilled chicken or steak!

Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower

2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets (or one large)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, add oil, paprika and salt and whisk to combine. Add the cauliflower and stir until the florets are well coated. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (or 2 sheets, if needed) and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the florets begin to brown around the edges.

1 year ago: my ultimate guilt-free breakfast
2 years ago: london broil with red wine reduction sauce

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Minestrone Soup

I don’t just live in Brooklyn. I was born here too. In fact, I live around the corner from my childhood home. Why am I telling you this? Well it’s got something to do with the weather. Most of the time, the cold doesn’t bother me. Really. I grew up making snow angels in my front yard every winter, and having snowballs thrown at me from the big boys down the block. The cold is just in my blood.

I have to admit though, that every now and then comes one of those bone-chilling winter days where even I want nothing more than to snuggle up under a cozy blanket and wrap my hands around a warm cup of soup. Last week, we had one of those days. As bundled up as I was, the wind just crept it’s way in, stinging my fingers and toes. My kids came home all red-nosed and shivering and I just knew I had to put up a big pot of soup.

And not just any soup. It had to be a stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup that’s a meal in itself. I decided on minestrone because #1, it’s awesome and hearty. #2, it’s pretty quick, and #3 with all the veggies in there, there’s at least something each of my finicky kids will eat. Plus, it’s got pasta, and who doesn’t love pasta?!

Minestrone soup is basically a thick soup of Italian origin, usually consisting of vegetables (especially tomatoes), beans and pasta. You can use whatever beans you like and play around with the veggies to suit your taste. With beans, veggies and pasta, it’s a whole meal-in-one that comes together in no time. Serve with some crusty bread to really take it over the top! It’s sure to keep you warm all winter long.

Minestrone Soup

1 onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
3 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1  russet potato, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
6-8 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 box ditalini pasta, cooked according to package directions

Method:

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add celery, carrots and zucchini and continue to saute. Add tomato paste and stir into the vegetables, continuing to saute until the vegetables are well coated. Add potato, beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes-1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Stir in in baby spinach and cook until wilted. You may also add the pasta or serve individually in each bowl.*

*I prefer to add the pasta to each bowl as I’m serving the soup because I like my pasta to have a “bite” to it. Leaving it in the soup with make it extremely soft, and it will lose it’s texture.

Related Recipes:

white bean minestrone with zoodles
spinach matzo ball minestrone soup

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Blogoversary BBQ Brisket

I honestly can’t believe that two years have already passed and the Busy In Brooklyn blog is still going strong. Like many people, I have a tendency to take up new hobbies only to drop them several months later. So when I started my blog back in January 2011, I never imagined it would grow to become so much a part of my life. Cooking is no longer a chore, it has become a full-blown passion. And blogging about it has given me the opportunity to find my voice and express myself. I have truly found my niche, and I am ever so grateful for it.

One of my very first posts on BIB was also for a pulled BBQ brisket. Except it wasn’t mine. Back then, I had no idea how to make pulled BBQ beef from scratch. So I did what any novice cook would do. I followed a recipe. That called for store-bought BBQ sauce.

Fast forward two years and I decided to try my hand at my very own pulled BBQ beef. I put a little of this and a little of that, but I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to come out. When the meat was finally ready (they don’t call it a slow cooker for nothing!), I served it to my finicky kids and they couldn’t put their forks down. I’m telling you people – this recipe is that good. And you know why I’ve been holding onto it for so long?  Because I wanted to save it as a gift to you; my readers. Blogoversary Brisket. It’s the least I can do to say THANK YOU for being such an awesome group of fans.

This mouth-watering shredded BBQ beef recipe epitomizes just how far I’ve come as a cook since I started BIB. Over the past two years I’ve been able to hone my skills in the kitchen, practicing and learning new techniques and flavors. And I would have never made it here if not for you guys. Your constant support, enthusiasm and interest in my recipes have encouraged me to push my limits to create fun and exciting new dishes.


Over the past year, BIB recipes have been featured on sites like Yahoo, Yummly, Dash and countless kosher websites. Numerous recipes have been printed in the Binah Magazine and the The Jewish Press. I’ve even been interviewed on the radio! It’s been a great journey, thanks for coming along for the ride.

Here are some stats for the BEST OF 2012:

Most popular category: dessert recipes
Most popular recipe: roasted eggplant parmesan with feta
2nd most popular recipe: s’mores chocolate toffee bark
Most popular craft: mustache straws
Most popular how to: make sorbet
Most commented (not including giveaways): shlishkes
Most pinned: roasted eggplant parmesan with feta

What have been some of YOUR favorite recipes and crafts over the past year? Share them with me in the comments below!

Keep following, keep commenting and most importantly, keep cooking!

<3 Chanie

Wanna give BIB a Blogoversary gift? Vote for the BIB Blog as the Best Kosher Food Blog in the Joy of Kosher Best of Kosher 2012 Awards!

You can always follow BIB on facebook, twitter, instagram, or pinterest! Sharing the love is always appreciated, so let your friends know about the Busy In Brooklyn Blog by sharing today’s post on your facebook wall!


BIB Blogoversary BBQ Brisket

3 lbs. brisket
1 large onion, sliced into half rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Sprinkle the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and brown the brisket on all sides to seal in the juices. Place the brisket in the crock pot.

In the same pan, saute the sliced onions until translucent, add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce for 20 minutes. Pour the sauce over the brisket and turn the crock pot on to high. Slow cook for approximately 4-5 hours.

Remove the brisket from the crock pot and using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into shreds. Pour the sauce back into the pan and reduce until thick (it should coat the back of a spoon) about 20-30 minutes. Return the shredded beef to the crock pot and pour the sauce over it. Set the crock pot to warm or serve immediately.


1 year ago: It’s our blogoversary! Celebrate with {Mulled Wine}
2 years ago: Hello World!

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Melt-In-Your-Mouth Veal Meatballs

I’m a huge fan of veal. It’s got a lovely flavor and that tender, melt in your mouth quality. It’s also much lighter than beef, so you don’t feel as heavy when you eat it. One of my favorite veal recipes is for these delicious meatballs. I don’t call ’em melt-in-your-mouth for nothing. They really do melt. in. your. mouth. While this recipe uses few ingredients, it’s chock full of flavor, mostly due to the bay leaves. They give the broth and meatballs a delicious flavor while imparting the most heavenly aroma. You’ll wanna make them just for the smell!

Having little kids, meatballs are definitely a staple in my house, but the plain old beef meatballs in marinara sauce does get kind of boring. My kids gobble these down like you can’t imagine. And yours will too!

Have you seen my veal shepherd’s pie with celery root mashed potatoes? It’s another great veal recipe that you must try!

Veal Meatballs

2 lbs. ground veal
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups water
5 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, combine the veal, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into balls. In the meantime, saute the onion in olive oil until deeply golden and caramelized. Add the water, sugar, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer, covered, for 1-2 hours.

If you wish to thicken the cooking liquid, you may continue to cook it over high heat until reduced to desired consistency.

1 year ago: wild mushroom barley soup
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Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

Have you heard about the custom for Jewish people to eat Chinese food on Christmas? It all started back in the day when there weren’t so many kosher restaurants to eat at, and the only places open on Xmas were Chinese joints. And the only people frequenting their restaurants were the Jews, since they do not celebrate the gentile holiday. To clarify things: it is not, in fact, a Jewish custom to eat Chinese food on Christmas, but some people enjoy doing so just for kicks. This year, my family decided to follow suit, and we ordered takeout from our favorite Chinese spot, EstiHana.

Have you seen this picture that’s been circulating around the web?  Cute, isn’t it?

You know what the best part about ordering Chinese food? All that fresh hot rice they send you, which turns into day-old rice the next day. Leftover rice is the perfect starter for dishes like pineapple fried rice. And contrary to popular belief, most fried rice dishes are not fried at all (we are dispelling lots of myths here today!).  So the next time you have leftover rice, think twice before throwing it away.

Other ways to use up leftover rice:

Rice pudding or breakfast cereal (use in place of oatmeal)
Tomato rice soup like this one
Stuffed peppers
Rice stuffing for chicken
Cheesy Mexican rice
Arancini
Chicken and rice soup

Do you have any good ideas for using up leftover rice? Share them in the comments below!

Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup pineapple, finely diced
12 oz cooked rice (or 1 Chinese takeout container)
2 tbsp eel sauce*
2 tsp soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped

Method:

Heat up a skillet and add sesame oil. Toss in pineapple and saute until it begins to caramelize and brown. Add cooked rice, breaking it up with a spatula. If the rice begins to stick, add a little bit of water. Add eel and soy sauce and stir to combine. When rice is heated through, add chopped scallions and serve.

VARIATION: You can add additional chopped vegetables like peppers (red peppers would be great in this), onions, or carrots. Saute them first and when beginning to soften, add the pineapple. Continue as above.

NOTE: Imitation kosher eel sauce is now widely available in supermarkets (I use the Sweet City brand). If you cannot find it, ask for some “sweet sauce” from your local sushi counter.


1 year ago: black grape and plum compote
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